Fiona Panther

Dr Fiona Panther is a Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia's School of Physics, Maths and Computing. Her work focuses on gravitational waves, astrophysical transients, and compact objects. She received her PhD from the Australian National University (2019) and a BSc(Hons) from the University of Auckland (2015). Panther is part of OzGrav-UWA and collaborates with global networks like LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA. Her research explores neutron star mergers, black hole interactions, and antimatter origins in the Milky Way. She leads projects such as the Forrest Fellowship and Zadko Observatory upgrades, advancing multi-messenger astrophysics. Key contributions include gravitational wave detection, gamma-ray burst analysis, and cosmic ray studies. Panther's work bridges theoretical models with observational data, addressing extreme astrophysical phenomena.

Education:

• PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University (2015–2019)
• BSc(Hons) in Physics and Mathematics, University of Auckland (2011–2014)

Research Interests: Fiona's work spans gravitational wave astrophysics, neutron star dynamics, and cosmic ray propagation. She investigates how merging compact objects (e.g., black holes, neutron stars) emit gravitational waves and electromagnetic signals, advancing our understanding of nuclear physics and extreme matter conditions. Her analysis of astrophysical transients like gamma-ray bursts and fast radio bursts bridges observational data with theoretical predictions.

Grants/Projects:

• Forrest Fellowship (2023–2025): Investigating gravitational waves from neutron stars
• Zadko Observatory Space Surveillance Hub (2023–2024): Enhancing optical transient detection
• Gravitational Wave Discovery (2022–2022): Analyzing neutron star merger signals

Labs/Teams: Panther leads the Zadko Observatory team and collaborates with international initiatives like OzGrav (Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery). Her work integrates data from LIGO, Virgo, and KAGRA detectors with optical follow-up observations.